A good night's sleep helps sharpen the memory

A good night's sleep not only leaves you feeling refreshed - it also boosts your long-term memory. Scientists who analysed the brain scans of volunteers found that restful slumber helps to consolidate (strengthen) memories.

This is because during a solid sleep, memories of recent events are shifted from one part of the brain to another for long-term storage.

The findings suggest that those who do not get enough rest could be operating well below their best. The researchers at the University of Leige in Belgium gave 24 volunteers the task of learning their way around a virtual 3 D town on a computer.

Researchers then used hi-tech scans, called functional magnetic resonance (echo) imaging, to capture activity in the brain immediately after the task.

Then one group of 12 were allowed to sleep, while the other 12 stayed awake all night, playing video games.

Both groups were then allowed two nights of regular sleep before being given brain scans again on the third day, when they were given another navigation (directing something) task.

The scans revealed how the brain transferred memories of how to navigate from the region of the brain that helps remember directions, the hippocampus, to a region that determines how we move, the striatum.

They showed that the group which had slept well was using the striatum to navigate around the virtual town.

The team that had been deprived of (denied) sleep was still using the hippocampus, suggesting that the information had not yet been consolidated in the long-term memory. Dr. Phillippe Peigneux, lead author of the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said: "Both groups were still able to achieve the tasks we set them, but they were not using the same part of the brain to perform them".

"Shifting memories from one part of the brain to another increases alertness."

Daily Mail

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Escaped parrot holds up plane

Polly, the parrot stopped a plane from taking off when she escaped from her box and began nibbling frightened passengers. The crafty creature managed to free herself while perched on her owner's lap. As the Trislander aircraft, named Joey, taxied for take-off, Polly started circling passengers' heads and nipping their shoulders.

Travellers on the trip from Alderney to Southampton shouted at the pilot to brake.

And the Aurigny Air Services flight was delayed ten minutes as crew emptied the cabin, scooped up the grey and white parrot - and put her back in her box. Duty officer Steve Roberts confirmed: "There was a bit of a problem with Polly. It was a bit of unscripted in-flight entertainment and it was ironic that the plane in use was called Joey.

"We deal with all sorts of things here." Steve added: "We had to offload the passengers and then get the parrot back in her box. Then, the passengers got back on and Polly was quite happy. She was very good-natured really.

"Her owner was taking her away on holiday and I think she just got a bit excited."

One passenger said: "To be honest, it was very funny looking back after the event. But if the flight had been in mid-air and the bird had been pecking the pilot, it could have been dangerous.

"Everybody was shouting and then we were all amazed as the bird was scooped up by the crew."

The Sun